Celebrating Chesterfield's Retail Community

It is the shortest month of the year and it may be horribly grey outside, but don’t be deceived – Chesterfield’s future is bright.   This month, the spotlight is on the town’s retail sector. Nominations for the 2018 Chesterfield Retail Awards open later this month.

Now in their fifth year, the Chesterfield Retail Awards are the perfect way to celebrate our town’s booming retail scene, and it’s up to you as shoppers to nominate retailers that deserve the recognition that a nomination and potential win these coveted awards can bring.

All too often we hear how the UK’s high streets are struggling. It’s tempting to look at empty shops in our town centre and think that it’s the same story in Chesterfield, but it’s not.

Our abundance of both independent retailers and big high street names, alongside the historic market, means that retail in Chesterfield is unlike most towns in the UK. Last year we attracted new retailers to the town centre

The independent sector is thriving and there are many success stories. Adorn Jewellers for instance, opened in the Shambles five years ago and in 2017 opened a second store in Bakewell. Geeks Headquarters tells a similar story. It started off on the market before moving to shop premises on Rose Hill.

This year we will see the regeneration of the upper end of the town centre where work has begun on transforming the former Co-op into a hotel and restaurants. More development will happen here with the creation of Northern Gateway which will all serve to feed crucial footfall into the town centre and ensure it not only survives but thrives.

The Chesterfield Retail Awards aren’t just about town centre businesses, they’re about every single retailer – whether they are a shop, salon, bakery, market stall or crafter – that operates within S40 and 41.  

There is a huge retail offering outside the town centre. Areas like Chatsworth Road and Whittington Moor are lined with shops and stores, but I urge you to look behind these and down the side streets to uncover the unsung heroes of retail. 

Growing businesses

Chesterfield’s businesses were put under the national spotlight in July when BBC Radio 5 Live came to town on the back the latest GDP figures which were up across the board. And Chesterfield’s story wasn’t any different.

If you were listening on 27 July you’ll have heard business reporter Colletta Smith interview Nick Ibbotson from Ibbotson’s Fresh Produce, Stuart Downing from Casa Hotel, James Brand from United Cast Bar and Russ Gratton from Recon Electrical – all Chesterfield businesses. I’m delighted to say that all of them – including the customers at Recon Electrical - had the same story to tell; that business in the last quarter had been good.

People want to come to Chesterfield for work and pleasure, Casa’s figures bear this out. It has had more than 2000 bookings this year and already has people booked for 2017.

It’s a similar story in our town, employment is the highest it has ever been for the town since records began. However, we must keep this momentum going and not let the uncertainty brought about by the EU referendum result derail the town’s growth and future.

We need to be sure we don’t talk ourselves into a recession. Chesterfield is in a strong position with major developments, like Markham Vale, well underway and already creating hundreds of jobs. The Great Bear distribution centre is soon to open at Markham Vale and will create a further 400 jobs this year.

We’re a town of entrepreneurs and time and time again we show how we can adapt, change and overcome. Nowhere was that more evident than at the recent judging for the Food Producer of the Year title in the 2016 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. It was full of surprises – a micro herb producer from Whittington Moor, a smoke and cured meat specialist from Bolsover, a smoothie and juice producer from Tupton and a honey producer from Clowne, to name but a few.

Without exception every entrant was an owner managed business, many of them tucked away in Chesterfield quietly getting on with their daily business and supplying produce locally, regionally and nationally.

I’m delighted that Chesterfield Borough Council is helping town’s entrepreneurs even further with its latest plans for Northern Gateway. It has announced it will be building a business enterprise centre on part of the Donut car park for start-up and small and medium sized businesses.

The Council’s Dunston and Tapton Innovation Centres already have a great track record for incubating and nurturing business and I for one am delighted that Chesterfield is able to look ahead and continue with its plans for growth and prosperity even in these times of uncertainty.

Lots to celebrate already in 2016

As we enter February we are reminded that the Christmas period is well and truly over; diets have gone out of the window and many of us have turned our backs on our well-intended New Year resolutions. All in all it’s a pretty dreary month, and this prompted me to dig a little deeper and find some positives; I really didn’t have to look very far - specifically to the brand new £12m Queens Park Sports Centre.

I was privileged to see the new Queens Park Sport Centre at a recent Chesterfield Champions breakfast event, 24 hours before it was officially opened by the Coronation Street celebrity Kym Marsh. Like her, I was extremely impressed with the outstanding facilities, it truly is a gem in Chesterfield’s crown.

The breakfast event started at 7:30am and the centre was already buzzing with people using the new facilities and queuing to sign up for membership. What an amazing community resource.-it was fantastic to witness the hard work of the many people who have made the new Queens Park Sports Centre happen. A big ‘thank you and well done’ to all those involved!

At the breakfast even the hot topic on everyone’s lips was, of course, the proposed devolution involving Local Councils; with the subject being debated nationally, lots of questions were asked about what it means for Chesterfield. I for one see devolution as a positive, there is already a deal from Sheffield City Region on the table for Chesterfield which will bring us a share of £900m funding for local projects, including infrastructure and regeneration.

Devolution means, ultimately, that we can have more control over things that we want for our Town at a local level rather than Whitehall making the decisions for us. Devolution will impact all our lives and I urge you to have your say now. Get involved and have your voice heard before any decision is made that will affect all our futures long-term. You can find more information about this issue on the Destination Chesterfield website.

Devolution is something that will no doubt be a key topic at our annual Celebrate Chesterfield event taking place at the Winding Wheel in March. For those of you that don’t know, Celebrate Chesterfield is the hottest ticket in town and each year it’s getting even bigger and better.

I enjoy this event because it’s a great opportunity to look back and see how far we have come since the creation of Destination Chesterfield in 2011. At last year’s event we announced that £1bn of regeneration was taking place in the Borough-who knows what good news this year’s Celebrate will bring? What I do know is that it’s going to be good!

Great things are happening in our small town of which we should all be proud. Celebrate Chesterfield is the opportunity for us all to stand back, take stock and give ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back for what we have collectively achieved as a Town, and to look forward to the future with confidence.

You too can share in the success of Chesterfield. The event is free to attend; simply register at www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate

Have your say in 2016

Happy New Year to all readers! Well it’s the New Year but certainly not a new start for Chesterfield. Many of the Town’s developments are underway and will be making significant progression in 2016, so we have so much to look forward to and we have hit the ground running.

We go into 2016 with a confident buzz about the town Big changes are afoot, not only for Chesterfield but for Sheffield City Region which the town is a part of.

Devolution is the hot topic on everyone’s mind and from my own perspective it would greatly benefit Chesterfield and the region because it will give the Town a seat at a more influential ‘local’ table, not to mention more control over our own financial affairs.

It could also help bring potential funding to the area further boosting our ambitious plans for growth and development in the area over the next 10 years. Ultimately, devolution will allow us to have more money and decision-making powers as well as greater control over skills and transport improvement and job creation as well as increase the number of new businesses.

Local control of our ambitions and plans is very important, rather being made in London, where they are now. London is a very different economy to ours – just think of house prices, salaries and transport, and therefore needs to be treated differently. .

I would urge all local residents and businesses to take part in the consultation. Chesterfield’s position within Sheffield City Region means we do a lot of business with neighbouring towns and cities and it is important that we have control of the direction of our future which will affect young people and the jobs that are available to them when they leave school.

2016 will see the opening of the new University of Derby Campus in Chesterfield, bringing more opportunity to young people in an around the town, specifically in nursing, Business, Computing, Law, and Engineering. The latter, I feel, is s exciting for Chesterfield as it is a field the town has developed a specialism. This is rightly so when you consider that one of the godfathers of engineering and inventor of The Rocket, George Stephenson, made Chesterfield his home.

The coincidence that Chesterfield is involved in a 21^st Century ‘rocket’ can’t be overlooked. Bloodhound is the British-built car that will be attempting the world land speed record in October 2016 and Chesterfield-based industrial weighing specialists Weightron Bilanciai Ltd has supplied the weighing systems that have been used throughout the build of the project.

So, when you see Bloodhound – or more likely the trail of vapour it will leave in its wake travelling at 1000mp - on the flats of South Africa later this year, be proud in the knowledge it carries a little bit of Chesterfield and is helping spread our town’s reputation for quality engineering and manufacturing all over the world.

With all that and more, what a great year we have ahead of us! I hope you will join me in celebrating and recognising our achievements on 16th March at Celebrate Chesterfield

New future for Chesterfield Co-op store

More good investment news arrived in Chesterfield recently with the announcement that a planning application has been submitted to turn the former Co-op department store into a £20million hotel, restaurants and leisure development.

I am delighted that the potential of Chesterfield has, once again, been recognised by investors. It is large scale developments in the town centre such as this, coupled with our thriving independent sector, which will help make us a go to destination for shoppers and tourists.

November has been designated the month where we hope to do exactly the same for the town’s manufacturing sector with Made in Chesterfield.  The festival has two aims; to attract manufacturing and engineering companies to invest here and create jobs and to get more youngsters turned onto a career in manufacturing

Last year, Made in Chesterfield only ran for a week however it was credited with introducing more than 400 young people to careers within the sector. Building on this success, this year the festival is running throughout November.

Thanks to partnerships Destination Chesterfield has fostered with schools, companies within the sector, Derbyshire Education Business Partnership, Natwest, Chesterfield College, Derbyshire County Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Placing Futures and Positive 4 Young People,  this year more young people than ever will discover first-hand the employment opportunities and the number of varied and exciting roles within manufacturing and engineering.

If your school, child or company would like to get involved with Made in Chesterfield, you can view the programme of events here www.chesterfield.co.uk/made 

Attracting young people to the sector is essential if Sheffield City Region (SCR) is to achieve its vision of developing a Modern Manufacturing and Technology Growth Area. Chesterfield’s Enterprise Zone at Markham Vale is already playing an important role in attracting investment to the area and events like Made in Chesterfield are contributing further in ensuring there is a ready workforce to enable SCR to achieve this vision.

We’re also taking a similar approach to the town’s hospitality sector through the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. Without a ready workforce proposals for developments such as the Co-op would be a non-starter.

Each year, however, Destination Chesterfield partners with Chesterfield College to showcase the skills of the young people about to enter the hospitality sector. Not only does the College sponsor the awards, it provides the venue for the awards but, most importantly, its own students cater and serve the entire event.

After the success of last year’s awards evening at the College – all superbly catered and served by the students, it came as no surprise that tickets for the 2015 awards sold out weeks before the event, prompting us to increase numbers to the absolute maximum. 

Made in Chesterfield

I read an article from job website CV-Library that said almost half of recruiters think that engineering is the hardest sector to place candidates in. The study suggested that engineering roles are the hardest for recruiters to fill, and a separate study highlighted an unrelenting skills shortage across the UK as a whole. And the picture is no different in Chesterfield, yet we have a thriving manufacturing and engineering sector here.

The study illustrated for me, yet again, how essential school leavers are for the future of Chesterfield, especially in the manufacturing and engineering sectors. Locally, we are outperforming the national average with manufacturing representing around 20% of the turnover of Sheffield City Region (SCR), and if we want this continue we need to attract a future workforce.

Recognising this, we hosted a week-long Made in Chesterfield festival last year which was designed to highlight the sector to young people and encourage them to consider a career in it when the leave school. It was hugely successful, introducing more than 400 young people to the sector.

Capitalising on this success, this year, we will be dedicating an entire month – November – to Made in Chesterfield. Expect to hear a lot from engineering and manufacturing companies you probably didn’t even know existed, let alone known what they do, during November. Many have been in Chesterfield for years, providing local jobs.

While unemployment locally now stands at its lowest level for three years, youth unemployment currently stands at 16%. We can all work together to make a difference to this.

We know festivals and initiatives like Made in Chesterfield and the Food and Drink Awards work in bringing together the education and business community; introducing them to each other and identifying career and employment opportunities.

Chesterfield College uses the Food and Drink Awards every year to show off the skills of their talented hospitality students at the awards ceremony. Each year the students not only make the food but also serve it and this year will be no different. It is restaurant quality food and service, adding a unique element to these popular awards. My mouth is already watering thinking of the awards ceremony which is once again being held at the College’s Heart Space Building at the end of October.

It’s important we work together to reduce youth unemployment in Chesterfield. Initiatives like Made in chesterfield and the Food and Drink Awards are just the tip of the iceberg. Young people want a job, a place to live and a thriving social scene and we have all that right here, we just need to open their eyes to it.

Creative Chesterfield

News that part of Paul Cummins’ iconic poppy sculpture could return to its spiritual home of Chesterfield is an opportunity to further put the town on the map if our bid is successful.

As the inspiration for this magnificent sculpture came from Chesterfield library and commemorates the many men who lost their lives in the First World War, it seems only fitting that it returns to its spiritual home if only for a brief time.

As well as showcasing our wonderful town to visitors, the sculpture will also highlight the wealth of artistic talent that has originated and also remains here. Although now living outside the area, Mr Cummins was a Hasland resident and studied at the College. He is not the only artist to receive national acclaim. Ashley Thomas, whose wonderful At Home range is sold in Debenhams’ stores nationally originally hails from the town, as does award winning ceramicist Clare Gage who continues to live here and sell her designs at Libby’s on Chatsworth Road.

The businesses involved in Chesterfield’s digital and creative community are making an important and significant contribution to the local economy and many of the fledgling start-ups in this sector can now be found at Chesterfield College’s fantastic West Studios off Sheffield Road.  Melanie Jackson, the artist responsible for the wonderful Growth sculpture on Horns Bridge is one of the many talented artists, designers and producers based there.

Often when people think of careers in the digital and creative industry they think of logo design or computer games, however this sector permeates virtually every industry, not least manufacturing. Just look at the fantastic Franke Sissons sculpture at Chesterfield Coach Station, which we unveiled during Made in Chesterfield Week last year, for proof if it were needed.

I am delighted Made in Chesterfield, which is being organised once again by Destination Chesterfield and Derbyshire Education Business Partnerships returns in November. 

Last year, during the course of a single week we reached out to more than 400 young people and raised awareness of careers in the manufacturing sector. This year, thanks to the involvement of the digital and creative sector and an entire month devoted to Made activities, we can showcase a greater breadth of careers and, importantly, show that they can follow their creative dreams and make a career out of them, here in Chesterfield. 

Charity begins at Chesterfield

At a recent Chesterfield Champions breakfast I was heartened to hear the news that a MacMillan Cancer Centre is to be built at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

This is a real feather in the cap for the area as it brings together the cancer care and treatment that is currently provided in different locations across the hospital site. There, unfortunately, can be few people in Chesterfield whose lives have not been blighted by this horrible disease, either their own or those of family members or friends. Every year, 1,500 people in North and North East Derbyshire are told that they have cancer.

Costing £8.9 million the new centre is relying on £2.5m of charitable donations to make it a reality. I have no doubt the MacMillan Cancer Centre will open in 2016 as planned as the generosity of Cestrefeldians is renowned. You simply have to look at other charitable causes in the area, large and small – Ashgate Hospicecare, Kids ‘n’ Cancer and Chesterfield Fundraising Group for Cancer Research UK to name but a few, who all tirelessly fundraise and make a big difference to our community.

Fundraising isn’t easy. It involves lots of time, energy and determination, often relying on the goodwill of volunteers, which is very much the case for the Chesterfield Fundraising Group for Cancer Research UK, which is entirely run and managed by volunteers. It recently received Fundraiser of the Year award at the Derbyshire Times Pride Awards, which just goes to show that the old adage ‘charity begins at home’ really does apply in Chesterfield.

It is heartening to see the business community supporting charities, either through the fundraising efforts of their own staff or from the company as a whole. Most recently Franke Sissons hosted a fundraising dinner dance which raised £1250 for local cancer charities Nenna Kind and Ashgate Hospicecare.

It is this goodwill and camaraderie between both residents and businesses that makes Chesterfield such a friendly town, something visitors often remark on when they visit. We have a real’ in it together’ attitude that has enables us to weather storms and emerge stronger for it and the fact we have £1 billion of development happening in the Borough over the next 10 years is testament to this.

£1 billion of investment for Chesterfield over the next 10 years

£1 billion of investment for Chesterfield over the next 10 years

We regularly hear about new investment in Chesterfield; whether this is Markham Vale, Peak Resorts, Chesterfield Waterside or by one of our expanding local  businesses. But recently, at the Celebrate Chesterfield event it was calculated that the total amount of money being invested in the town over the next 10 years is actually £1 billion. There was an audible intake of breath in the room, when that level of investment was announced, proving once again that Chesterfield is punching well and truly above its weight.

This investment will bring lots of homes, leisure facilities, restaurants and businesses, etc to Chesterfield which,  importantly, will create jobs, 1000s of them in fact. With jobs comes more spending power in our local economy- Everyone in our town will benefit. The future for Chesterfield is very exciting, however we must not lose sight of what we have now. It is important to support the businesses that are already within the town and help them continue to thrive so they will be around to reap the benefits of the £1 billion of future investment.

The annual Chesterfield Retail Awards organised by Destination Chesterfield, are a great example of how we strive to celebrate and support businesses in Chesterfield. I am delighted to see that so many people have got behind the awards once again and nominated their favourite retailers. We’ll be announcing the winners of the Chesterfield Retail Awards in June.

However, it is my view that every one of Chesterfield’s retailers should be commended.   By way of example we heard at the Celebrate event that plans for the former Co-op building are in the pipeline and I, like everyone else, look forward to seeing an important  building brought back into use.

Whether or not you nominated a business for the Retail Awards my plea to you, to keep Chesterfield thriving now, is for you to Shop Local. Independent retailers in the town centre, along Chatsworth Road and Whittington Moor have everything you could ever need. You name it - fruit and vegetables from the market, gifts, clothing, furniture, jewellery, we really do have it all. Our town’s mix of retailers – independents alongside high street chains, are what sets us apart from other high streets. We have variety that others are lacking and this is the reason why people travel from the Peak District, Buxton, Dronfield, South Sheffield and even Leicestershire to shop here. But let’s make sure we support our independent retailers. Chesterfield can enjoy its modern awakening now, not in ten years’ time.

A bit of Chesterfield Christmas sparkle sent around the world

The nights may be long but Chesterfield has its usual sparkle thanks to the fabulous Christmas lights. 

They almost make Christmas shopping pleasurable for those of us that don’t like it.

For those of you that do then the town has so much to offer – from high street chains to independent retailers that offer something a little bit different and out of the ordinary. And thanks to the Internet some of Chesterfield’s home grown products will be appearing under trees and on tables this Christmas as well, all helping spread the word about what our town has to offer.

The high street is facing its toughest battle ever. However, the internet is integral to its survival. UK retailing delivers nearly 10% of all its sales online and an increasing proportion of this comes from mobile devices.  We  want to keep Chesterfield booming and top of the charts for least vacant shops, so earlier this year Destination Chesterfield ran a free Digital High Street course to give the town’s independent retailers a helping hand to get online and maximise their sales this Christmas.

Thanks to the internet, we are seeing Northern Tea Merchants’ tea and coffee travelling as far afield as Scandinavia and Russia, jewellery retailer Adorn has customers in Canada, Scotland and the Netherlands and our very own home grown ceramist Clare Gage is selling her products through the well-known online retailer Not on the High Street.com as well as locally at Created Gallery on Chatsworth Road.

Chesterfield’s contribution to your Christmas doesn’t stop at gifts, the town and its food and drink producers can even cater for your big nights out and in. As we saw recently at the Food and Drink Awards we have some fabulous eateries in the town which, quite literally, cater for every taste. Maybe you’ll be enjoying a bottle of Brampton Brewery’s finest with your Christmas meal or one of Global Brands’ myriad of products in a local bar with friends?

Whatever or wherever you choose to eat, drink and shop, I would like everyone to consider purchasing it locally this Christmas and helping our economy thrive in 2015 and beyond. Chesterfield has so much to offer and the proof, as they say, is very much in the eating (and drinking) this Christmas.  

We continue to make great things in Chesterfield

I read recently that the Bristol-based children’s suitcase maker Trunki has reported a pre-tax loss of £1.5m for 2013 following competition from Chinese rivals. This is really sad news but the story couldn’t be more different in our town.

The manufacturing sector here is thriving and companies believe there to be little or no threat from China for two key reasons – poor quality, unreliable output and increased domestic demand for goods amongst the Chinese population.

Chesterfield’s Enterprise Zone at Markham Vale plays an important role in helping Sheffield City Region (SCR) achieve its vision of developing a Modern Manufacturing and Technology Growth Area.

As well as attracting manufacturing and engineering companies to invest here and create jobs, it is equally important to ensure there is a ready workforce. Events like Made in Chesterfield (10 – 14 November) help secure the future of the sector and get more youngsters turned onto a career in manufacturing, raising awareness of the employment opportunities within it as well as the number of varied and exciting roles.

And this is exactly what we have achieved with the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. Chesterfield College students take an active and hands on role at the awards evening. After the success of last year’s awards evening at the College – all superbly catered and served by the students, it came as no surprise that tickets for the 2014 awards sold out weeks before the event – and we increased numbers by 50%.

Like the Food and Drink Awards, Made in Chesterfield brings together employers and students. Companies have embraced the week, delivering hands on activities and site visits for so many youngsters.

I am confident that Made in Chesterfield will change many perceptions about the manufacturing sector, particularly the view that it’s dirty and grimy. Just walk into MSE Hiller’s workshop and your opinion will change instantly.

Embodying Made in Chesterfield is the new sculpture at the Coach Station. The sculpture is the work of Fanke Sissons’ apprentices and students from Parkside School. It is truly magnificent. Look closely and you will see that it encapsulates what young people feel is representative of Chesterfield today; Nature, Manufacturing, and Community.


I encourage you to visit the coach station and view this work of art. Not only will it enhanced yet another major gateway to the town, but it represents a true partnership between education and the manufacturing and engineering sectors – one which I hope will continue to provide employment opportunities for many generations to come.

Summer in Chesterfield

Everything can seem so much better when the sun is shining can’t it? And as much as the six week school break is welcomed by children, being a parent myself, I know it can be a headache for parents. How do you keep the youngsters entertained throughout the holidays, avoid the repeated cries of ‘I’m bored’ and not require a bank loan to do it?
 

A holiday away is not an option for everyone which is why finding activities (preferably free) to do on your doorstep is so important. Our Summer in Chesterfield campaign is designed to do just that – showcase everything that is happening in and around Chesterfield during the summer months. And there is so much to do – both free and paid for. 

It could be a simple picnic in glorious Queen’s Park or a visit to Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery where, from 9 – 16 August, it’s World War 1 Week at the Museum. Venture further afield into the beautiful Peak District, which we are lucky enough to have on our doorstep, and we have Chatsworth Country Fair from 29 – 31 August.

Summer activities’ aside, it’s so important that our town caters for all ages, particularly young people and families, in its offering.  They are the future workers and residents of Chesterfield and will help maintain the ongoing success of the town by helping attract new investors who will see a ready and waiting quality workforce alongside the variety of commercial property we offer and great transport links.

I welcomed news recently of £174m of government funding being awarded to the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to support local projects. As well as creating jobs, importantly this money will help to protect existing jobs and build homes in Chesterfield over the next five years.

This money means real change for Chesterfield. It will help us attract new businesses to the area, help young people to get the skills they need to get on, and ensure we have the workforce locally that we need to prosper.

By investing now to create long term job and housing opportunities for young people and their families, I hope that once they have finished in our education system they will choose to enjoy summer (and winter, spring and autumn) in Chesterfield for many years to come.

To find out more about the events happening in and around Chesterfield this summer, follow Chesterfield UK on Facebook or visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/fortcoming-events

Community key to future town success

Many visitors to Chesterfield tell us that one of the key attributes of the town is its friendliness and sense of community, and the community spirit certainly came to the fore recently to ensure our very first Retail Awards are a success.

To our shock, delight and amazement more than 1,000 nominations have been received for nearly 250 retailers. This is a phenomenal result and I am delighted to say that the Destination Chesterfield team and I have had to put in many extra hours sorting through the nominations and shortlisting retailers for the awards.

What is abundantly clear from the Retail Awards nomination process is that there are very many loved shops and their owners and managers are as equally passionate about providing a superb retail experience. With passion like this, it is no wonder that Chesterfield’s town centre continues to thrive where others are failing.

We should not underestimate Chesterfield’s retail offering. For a small town we are punching above our weight and leading the way for not only towns but cities who are keen to learn from us and replicate our success.

One of our key strengths, I believe, is that we never rest on our laurels. We are constantly innovating and working out ways we can further improve and attract even more people to our fabulous town. 

Statistics may show that online retail is the future but we firmly believe it can operate alongside, and strengthen, our high street offering and bring Chesterfield to the attention of people even further afield. I know already that some retailers in town have customers in Canada, the Netherlands and Scotland thanks to their online presence.

Online retail is the focus of the first phase of business support which is being offered through our Incubation Street campaign. Thanks to funding from the Portas Pilot Town Team Funding and our own Chesterfield Champions we’re providing a helping hand to independent retailers to get online this year and spread the Chesterfield message even further.

The response to the Retail Awards and the regular courses we run to help businesses, delivers a level of practical, community and financial support that I have not encountered anywhere else. It this that really does prove that, together, we do make a positive difference to our town.

The history of Chesterfield is every bit as important as its future

I am always amazed that the town still has surprises to reveal to me. Most recently it has been the discovery of the organisation that puts the Blue Plaques on many of our historic buildings. – Chesterfield and District Civic Society.

The latest plaque was unveiled at Chesterfield Market Hall, a fitting culmination of the investment and refurbishment that was completed there last year. Like the Market Hall, there are many buildings in Chesterfield that we probably drive or walk past every day. They blend into the fabric of the town but actually held create our town’s landscape as we know it today.

Chesterfield is steeped in history. We are well-known for our crooked spire but how many of us know it for being the resting place of the ‘Father of the Railways’ - George Stephenson?

The history of Chesterfield is every bit as important as its future and we are working hard to ensure a sustainable one for the town and everyone who lives here. That’s why it’s important to create opportunity for companies to invest here. Companies that choose to invest here bring jobs with them and employment opportunities for the next generation.

An excellent example of this is Chesterfield’s food and drink industry. In recent years the wealth and variety of eating and drinking establishments has increased. Where once we might have travelled out of town to a good restaurant, we now have a multitude on our doorstep.

I am delighted, therefore, to announce that the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards – which recognise this thriving sector - will be taking place both this year and next having secured sponsorship from Chesterfield College until 2015.

Last year the College was the headline sponsor of the inaugural awards and took a very active role in the awards ceremony. Not only was the ceremony hosted at the college’s Heartspace building, but the students catered for the event.

The award ceremony gives Chesterfield College Hospitality and Catering students an opportunity to be involved in a real professional and prestigious event, which supports the development of their commercial and industry relevant skills. The awards also provide fantastic opportunities for Chesterfield College students to showcase their high level professional skills and experience different aspects of the industry and to also be involved in the planning, preparation and delivery of a high profile regional event where employers have the opportunity to meet future employees.

Watch this space. In the same way Chesterfield College may produce the next Michelin starred chef, the town’s developments of today like Chesterfield Waterside and Casa Hotel could be the blue plaque bearers of the future.

Celebrating our retail scene

Did you know that Destination Chesterfield has been around for three and a half years in March?

During this time I am proud and delighted to have been part of the team that has helped spread the message of our town’s success and make it a place businesses want to invest in and people want to live.

We have experienced some great achievements during this time, however it’s important to take time to reflect on this success; where we’ve come from and where we are going to. That’s why the Celebrate Chesterfield events are so important. We held our latest one on 19th March and 200 members of the local business community gathered at the Proact Stadium to hear from myself the Destination Chesterfield team.

Whilst we might have done the talking , we are in no doubt that it is the engagement of the local community – businesses, schools and residents – that has been instrumental in the tremendous success of Destination Chesterfield since the campaign began in 2010.

Today we have more than 140 Chesterfield Champions and the support for the campaign is stronger than ever, many taking the time to get actively involved either speaking at or sponsoring Destination Chesterfield events.

Our brand new Retail Awards are no exception. Launched at the Celebrate Chesterfield event, the awards capitalise on the town’s ongoing success as one of the UK’s top 10 best performing centres with the least vacant shops.

They aim to seek out, recognise, celebrate and promote Chesterfield’s retailers as well as highlighting their commitment and importance to the town and the local economy. Our town has a thriving retail economy which is envied nationally.

Where other town centres are faced with high vacancy rates, Chesterfield is bucking the trend and attracting high street names such as Debenhams and ToysRus as well as independent retailers, giving us an excellent mix of shops, helping us attract visitors to our town and investors to the area who are keen to capitalise on our retail success. Only last month it was announced that the national department store Boyes would be opening in Chesterfield.

The success of these awards however is down to you. Shops and stores can only win if they are nominated by you, their customers.

Making a nomination is free and the nomination period is open from 1st April – 30th April with the winner being announced at a grand awards ceremony at the Assembly Rooms on 18th June.

If you’re reading this following a recent shopping trip and you want to recognise the store for their excellent customer service or brilliant disabled access, then nominate now by simply filling in the form or online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/retailawards.

Make no mistake, you are instrumental in the success of the 2014 Chesterfield Retail Awards.

A successful year for Chesterfield

Each month I endeavour to provide a snapshot of Destination Chesterfield’s current successes and future plans for the town. As we enter the New Year I thought now would be an appropriate time to reflect on all that Chesterfield has achieved to date , paving the way for more good news, development and investment in 2014.

Probably our proudest achievement as a town is that we’re emerging from this recession in better shape than ever. As my colleague and Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield Cllr John Burrows tells us: “We could have chosen to bunker down and ride out the recession but we didn’t. We chose to forge ahead with our marketing plans.”

As a result, we’re coming out of this recession fighting and we have the figures to prove it.

In May, the 16 hectare, £340 million Chesterfield Waterside development was announced as one of the UK’s largest Regeneration and Renewal projects. With detailed planning permission granted towards the end of 2013, work will start on the first residential phase early in the New Year. Already it has been hailed as an exciting example of best practice regeneration taking a largely vacant area centre and creating a vibrant new environment of buildings and open spaces, finishing runner up to the Olympic Park in the National Regeneration and Renewal awards.

In July we reported a housing boom, well before other towns and cities in the UK. House prices in the Town have risen *7.7%, the highest figure throughout Derbyshire, which puts us above the national average house price increase of 6.5% a year.

In September, Chesterfield was named as the only town north of the Watford Gap to be in the top ten of towns with the least shop vacancies. The town’s vacancy rate – which fell from 8.7 per cent last year to 7.7 per cent in 2013 – puts us in the top ten large centres in the country, way below the 13.5 per cent average.

Our retail offering has improved month-on-month, with large high street names and independent retailers choosing to make Chesterfield their home. Throughout 2013 we welcomed a number of major retailers to our town, including TK Maxx, B&M Bargains, Hobbycraft and Asda Living.

While other high streets may be strugglings, Chesterfield’s is growing with retailers attracted by a wealth of available property and development sites. We further added to this offering when we celebrated the re-opening of the Market hall in October after its £4 million refurbishment, helping attract more independent retailers to both the town centre as well as outlying areas like Chatsworth Road and Whittington Moor

As part of the growth in property and retail, our food and drink offering has improved substantially in recent years, so much so that we hosted our very own Food and Drink Awards in October with none other than Ainsley Harriott as the host. I am delighted to report that we are already looking ahead to the 2014 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards with some sponsors already signed up.

We have built a very powerful investment message for our town and in November we took it to Westminster, where we met potential investors from the property and retail sectors as well as the Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna MP. He praised Destination Chesterfield saying, ‘it is a good example of the public and private sector working together and taking responsibility to attract investment and promote their town.’ Looking at everything we have achieved together these last 12 months, I couldn’t have said it better myself

*http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/uk_house_prices/html/17ud.stm

Tasty future for Chesterfield

The Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards certainly did what they set out to do – put the town’s hospitality sector in the spotlight. Not only did the awards unite our thriving hospitality sector, they showcased the up and coming talent emerging from Chesterfield College as the students catered for the ceremony. And delicious it was too.

The town really embraced its first ever Food and Drink Awards. We had no shortage of nominations, sponsors and contributors, all keen to make it a success. There really was something for everyone, right down to the table decorations on the night which were supplied by local artist and Chesterfield Champion Clare Gage. The entire project has once again showed how the people of Chesterfield really care about the success of the town and want to be part of it.

More importantly, I would like to think that the awards sent a very clear message to young people about the opportunities that exist right here in Chesterfield. They were able to see for themselves that we have a thriving hospitality sector ready and willing to offer careers to young people. The best restaurants and hotels are not in the cities, they are now right here on our own doorstep and represent an opportunity to retain our home-grown talent.

The town now has more choice than ever for places to eat and drink. In November alone we welcomed the Market Plaza Café to the newly refurbished Market Hall as well as The Wingerworth Pub & Kitchen on the outskirts of Chesterfield. If dining out is a marker of a town’s economy, then ours is booming. We got the opportunity to shout about our success to major retailers and property developers, which was hosted by Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins recently at the Houses of Parliament.

The event showcased the town’s potential to retailers and developers in order to attract new investments and present Chesterfield as the place to be for business development and job opportunities.

Yes, we have attracted some big retailers to the town, Hobbycraft and Asda Living being the latest names to join the Ravenside Retail Park, but we must not rest on our laurels. We have a future generation of workers to think about providing jobs and homes for.

Having seen for myself the talented young people training at Chesterfield College I, for one, do not want to lose them from our local economy due to lack of opportunity. I am confident however, that together, we can build a sustainable and very bright future for Chesterfield.

Improving our gateways

"It would be remiss of me not to mention the fabulous weather we have had this summer, give or take a few thunder storms. Luckily, they seemed to miss the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket at Queen's Park. The good weather and the cricket pulled many visitors to our town and, it seemed, the train was a popular choice of transport.

Each day of the week-long festival we witnessed a steady stream of cricket fans make their way from the station, up Corporation Street and through the heart of the Town to Queens Park. And soon the station will offer an equally appealing welcome as the town centre, as it is earmarked in the Borough Council's £500,000 Gateway Enhancement Scheme .

The improvements will happen at the Hornsbridge roundabout, which you can currently have a say on your prefered scheme and the Railway Station Link – which includes Crow Lane from the railway station past the Chesterfield Hotel and across the public footbridge, which links to Corporation Street and the town centre.

The train station is vital to our local economy. The excellent direct rail links Chesterfield has with major towns and cities is just one of the many reasons why companies and people choose to locate here. Testament to this is the fact that property developers and estate agents in the town are reporting a boom in sales. Miller Homes East Midlands has described Chesterfield as being "at the top of the wish list for many couples, families and individuals looking to buy."
It's an excellent good news story for the town. Things are very much starting to look up for both the local and national economy. We have never stopped investing in our town - the £4 million redevelopment of the market hall being a prime example - and this shows by the fact people want to come here to live, work and visit. So many towns have fallen victim to the recession and report ghost town high streets. Not us. We are booming.

To quote my colleague, Councillor John Burrows, Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield: "We could have chosen to bunker down and ride out the recession, but we didn't. We chose to be proactive and forge ahead with our marketing plans and this shows in the recent employment, tourism and retail figures."

Chink of light at the end of the tunnel

Second only to our world-famous crooked spire, Chesterfield’s market is also a well-known and loved feature of the town and is an important part of our heritage. We not only have one of the biggest open-air markets in the country, but we will soon have a spectacular brand new indoor market.

The end is in sight for the £4 million renovation of our Market Hall. In October the awning will be lifted off the new glass roof, and the refurbished market hall will be unveiled and opened, once again, for business.

Chesterfield Champions were privileged to have a recent behind the scenes tour mid renovation and, without exception, everyone felt excited and positive about what this major investment means for our town and economy.  Aside from what you’d expect in a market, there will be office space and, more importantly, incubation studios specifically for new and fledgling businesses. This must make Chesterfield market not only a great place to shop but also a rich vein of business development.

Externally, the Market Hall will add yet another stunning piece of architecture to our town. All too often a visit into Chesterfield town centre involves a tunnel-vision approach. However look above the shop fronts and you will see some historic and grand buildings that, when put together, make us a very attractive town and tourist destination.  It can come as no surprise that we were voted as the Coach Friendly Town or City of the Year at the annual Coach Tourism Awards earlier this year.

Now we just need to sort out the main gateways to Chesterfield town centre to ensure they don’t let down our Town, which is so full of character. I am confident that such improvements will happen sooner rather than later as there are plans to transform the Donut roundabout area in an estimated £50 million development scheme into a high quality shopping and leisure area, and to improve the ‘Donkin’ roundabout at the entrance to theTown.

Similarly there is strong interest for Chesterfield Waterside on both the housing and commercial elements of the scheme and it is hoped that initial works will start towards the end of the year.

I for one see a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. Construction projects across the country, indeed the world, have slowed in recent years however the economy is picking up and nowhere is this more clear than Chesterfield.

Markham Vale for one continues to attract investment. Already more than 200 jobs have been created on site in the past couple of years and now Ready Egg is building a new factory which will create 50 Jobs. I am confident we will hear more success stories like this going forward as investors recognise the potential in Chesterfield and commit money and resources.

Chesterfield - A Welcoming Town

Thanks to Barratt Homes and the European Regional Development Fund £500,000 will shortly be invested into developing  Chesterfield town centre’s key gateway locations – Hornsbridge Roundabout and the Railway Station Link. The enhancements will all come together to create a ‘warm welcome to visitors’ to our town.

However, the Town’s  ‘warm welcome’ goes well beyond the visual enhancement of sculpture, art installation, signage, planting and way marking. It’s about the people – businesses and residents – and how we project ourselves in person and online to promote our pride and affection for the area and to create the ultimate warm welcome and reason to visit Chesterfield.

Recently, 15 people underwent training to become ambassadors for Chesterfield.  The scheme is for front line staff and residents in the town and recognises the important role they play in shaping the impressions of the Town to visitors, whether they are here on business or pleasure. Speak to a Chesterfield Ambassador and not only will they be able to give you the low down on the town’s regeneration plans, but also where to eat, what’s on and how many tonnes of lead were used to make the Crooked Spire -  approximately 33 tonnes in case you’re interested.

The Internet is also extending the message about our Town’s ‘warm  welcome’ nationally as well as abroad. Social media has become a powerful marketing tool for both DestinationChesterfield and the many independent retailers here. They are using Facebook and Twitter to reach out to people and make them aware of everything that the town has to offer, resulting in them being sought out by the many tourists who visit Chesterfield each year. One town centre independent trader now has customers from as far afield as Scotland, Canada, Australia and America.

Latest tourism figures for Chesterfield show the town is growing in popularity as a place to visit. The boost in the number of tourists has also increased the amount of money being spent in the town by 11% since 2010; that’s way above the 2% increase for the East Midlands region and also tops the 7% increase for the Peak District and Derbyshire.

Recently Destination Chesterfield has been encouraging people to add the #LoveChesterfield Twibbon to their Twitter accounts in order to shout about how great the town is and what we love about it. This was done in response to a cruel jibe a national newspaper (Metro) had at Chesterfield after Sheffield was declared as the happiest city in the UK. Residents and businesses have come out in force in support of the town.

While we are investing physically in developing Chesterfield by creating a visually pleasing reception for visitors, equally important are the people who they come into contact with – you! Luckily, our town has welcoming and friendly people in abundance. I feel  sure l that some of the good humour of Cestrefeldians influenced our neighbour’s happiest city award!!